THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



357 



cattle, the Kyloes and the cattle of the Western and Northern 

 Islands — these distinctions are the modern understanding of 

 the terras. 



These cattle are coloured in very many shades and varieties, 

 black being the favourite and prevailing colour, which is much 

 iuterraixed with white, red, dun, and brindled. The horns 

 are long, wide, and tapering.and in accordance with the size of the 

 animal. The Argyle cattle have the largest horns ; the Hebri- 

 dean Ky loe has the finest spear-horn, clear, glittering, and pointed ; 

 while the Northern Islands show a coarse and stunted horn, 

 short and proportional to the animal frames. The eye is fierce, 

 and the character mischievous, habits restless and unruly, body 

 short, paunch deep, hide thick, flesh very good, and finely 

 marbled with veins of fat. The maturity is regulated by the 

 maiutenance that is afforded ; the age of six years is attained 

 before a fattened carcase is produced ; four years in the native 

 country, and two in the lowland treatment. 



It is well known that the Galloway cattle afforded the mate- 

 rial service of the shorthorn breed, hence called the " alloy," 

 in reproach of the coarse mixture that was introduced into the 

 Yorkshire cattle. Passing over that point at present, as un- 

 connected with our present subject, the Galloway cattle have 

 been much improved among themselves by judicious selections, 

 and much yet remains to be done. Vast quantities of these ani- 

 mals are transported to the southern turnip counties, and are 

 much esteemed for beef and profit. But the old faults still 

 remain, and in abundance. 



The Kyloe cattle, properly so called, are a most motley 

 production in colour, shape, and quality, by a promiscuous 

 breeding, without any care or attention. The mountains and 

 the open range of hill grounds do not afford the benefit of 

 enclosures in the adaptation and restriction of the sexual in- 

 tercourse, which is consequently altogether uaconfined, and 

 spreads into numberless descents and endless pedigrees. 

 Good and bad animals are thus produced in accidental varie- 

 ties : the latter always predominates and the former bear the 

 usual proportion to the efforts of nature's course. This un- 

 restricted breeding has gone on from the earliest records, and 

 also the careless provision of winter food, on which the whole 

 success depends of Highland farming with cattle or sheep. 

 But the most unfavourable circumstances of situation do not 

 prevent the selection, for the purpose of breeding, of the best 

 shape, and forms that are produced by accident, and from which 

 every refinement of animals has progressed. It is not at all advo- 

 cated here that the size of the Kyloe cattle be increased, or 

 any cross be introduced by foreign blood ; the present bulk of 

 the animal is very ample for the maintenance, and any mixture 

 of blood would disarrange the long-established descent, and in- 

 troduce an irretrievable confusion. Such mixtures of species 

 and varieties in animals continue for a time, gradually dege- 

 nerate into numberless branches, and at last are wholly extin- 

 guished. The true way is to improve cattle among themselves, 

 by selecting the best specimens for breeding, and carefully 

 rejectiag all bad ones, and to continue in this course most ob- 

 stinately ; but not to produce a size or quality that is beyond 

 the circumstances of use. Abundance of materials exist, and 

 want only the application, even under the ordinary manage- 

 ment of Kyloe cattle. 



Our experience and acquaintance having been very consi. 

 derable among Kyloe cattle, our attention was very naturally 

 directed to their qualities, habitsi and varieties. It appeared 

 that very valuable distinct breeds may be produced by a care- 

 ful selection from the very heterogeneous multitude — a glossy 

 black variety, that comes at present from the Western Islands, 

 with white colours on the face, breast, and flanks, not largely 

 termiogled, but pleasingly patched ; a brindle d variety, 



with little or no white colour on the body, at least very spa- 

 ringly, the red brindles being of a very deep dye ; and a breed 

 wholly dun in colour, without the least mixture of any other 

 stain, and the coat of hair thick and curly. This dun colour 

 abounds among all the Highland cattle of Scotland, and always 

 indicates a hardiness and vigorous constitution, and a propen- 

 sity to fatten, in every animal organization. These two proper- 

 ties cannot be surpassed in any breed of cattle ; they form the 

 strongest stamina of existence, and are certain proofs of supe- 

 riority. A most choice breed of Kyloes would be propagated 

 by this selection of the dun colour, hardy and vigorous, fleshy 

 and symmetrical, with a coat of hair close and curly, with a 

 hide elastic, and mellow in the thickness. Mr. Quartly's 

 Devon cattle may be well quoted as an example of this curly 

 coat of hair, and possess all the qualities above-mentioned , 

 with an acknowledged superiority of the points of excellence. 

 Our judgment has ever most highly approved these Devon 

 cattle. 



A herd of dun Kyloe cattle would be most picturesque 

 and pleasing to the fancy, besides inheriting the very best 

 qualities of excellence. A similar valuable breed of Welsh 

 ponies may be propagated from the stray productions of the 

 dun colour that are found on the mountains of the Princi- 

 pality. The uniform colour of animals ever carries along 

 with it a combination of qualities that do not attend a hetero- 

 geneous colouring. 



A dark-red brindled breed of Kyloe, without the least mix- 

 ture of any other colour, would be valuable; or the dun variety 

 equally beautiful, but wanting the curly coat of hair, and more 

 resembling the cattle of the Lowlands. 



The glossy black variety are very similar to the Lowland 

 cattle, differing only in size and proportions. The small ani- 

 mals are very handsome, and a careful selection from among a 

 multitude of Kyloe cattle will find a symmetry that is un- 

 equalled by the most refined cattle of the present day. 



It would be absurd to hold out in expectation that equal 

 results with the labours of Bakewell and Colling would attend 

 the refined breeding of Kyloe cattle; controlling circumstances 

 totally forbid ; but the road is open to very large improve- 

 ments by the simple means of ordinary management. Some 

 few breeders have adopted the proper course, and have shown 

 the certain results ; but the attempts are few and far between, 

 and have little notice, though profits are equally certain as in 

 other cases, but always proportionate to the possible means of 

 application. An enlargement of the size of the animals, and 

 any considerable refinement of the general organization, would 

 unfit Kyloe cattle to be tenants of the mountains and stormy 

 islands ; the climate will not allow any great advancement be- 

 yond its permission. But it is quite possible and profitable 

 to select colours, shapes, and qualities to please the eye and 

 fill the purse, with , superior animals, and to retain the adapta- 

 tion that has been acquired by an immemorial residence and 

 confirmed habits. The best shapes and qualities that exist in 

 a small number of animals could with equal justice constitute 

 the whole herd of Kyloe cattle ; the organization would not be 

 in any way altered, nor the carcase impaired. The same food 

 would maintain them, and the same expense rear the calves 

 into articles of sale. 



The cattle of Scotland in the polled Galloway breed, and the 

 Kyloe cattle, comprehending the larger breed of Argyleshire, 

 constitute the first quality of beef in Britain, and fetch at an 

 average 6d. per Smithfield stone over any fattened animals in 

 the United Kingdom. This fact establishes the truth, that 

 as animals are refined in the organization, the quality of the 

 flesh is deteriorated. The flesh is better of these cattle when 

 fattened in Scotland than in England, owing to the very supe- 



